Croydon is in the running to land £1million funding from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to become the London Borough of Culture – and has the backing of Londoners.
At the last count, Croydon was leading the way in an ITV poll to be Mr Khan’s pick with 24 per cent of the vote – not bad when you consider there are 32 London boroughs.
Unfortunately the ITV vote does not count towards the final decision but it does underline the growing pride in the borough at a time when Warhol Month is being organised by the RISEgallery, the Mela is being brought back and a burgeoning cultural calendar is enhancing the reputation of the borough.
The £1m prize is available for two years, with one taking the title in 2019 and another in 2020.
Local authorities will have five months to prepare applications before a decision is made on where to allocate the £2.8 million pot of funding for the two winning bids.
Mr Khan said: “The great thing about culture is not only the economic boom it brings to London, but it enriches our lives, it nourishes the soul, it brings communities together, it heals division.
“Good culture is for the rich and poor, old and young, no matter your ethnicity or faith.”
The funding will commit boroughs to introducing artistic initiatives and make culture an integral part of their future. They will be tasked with bringing new opportunities to their area as well as shining a spotlight on existing treasures.
An extra £600,000 will be made available for other boroughs who put forward impressive projects. To vote in the ITV poll click here